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Pigale, for me the best part of the day was the memorials and cemeteries. I looked forward to it.
As you say, kept in superb condition.
The flat sprinters stages can be a bit boring.
Think, this morning we were talking about one great sprinting "Andre", and this afternoon the stage has been won by another "Andre"!
As France is without a "super" sprinter, you may have to look for a winner in a breakaway?
To Le Havre tomorrow, along the coast, and probably the crosswinds again!

~By the way Rusty, what happened to Bouhanni? He must be out of the Tour then surely;
Was he involved in that big crash ?

What made me find the day unimpressive is not so much that flat sprinter stage can be boring, but rather than no one seemed interested in trying to make a break - as you yourself were hoping this morning; suppose the rain must have something to do with it but nonetheless these guys are used to extreme conditions ! Or have they got 'cold feet' after the other day's crash ?

Rusty....the Scottish Open....I have backed B. Grace and B. Kopeka.....I see PGA tour winner Scott Stallings has a 3 month ban for taking a banned supplement....you are right, it's everywhere.

Sorry....Koepka.

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, I am sure that I would have found looking at the battle sites and war memorials very interesting - especially having read several of Lyn MacD 's books now.
I haven't as yet though read "Somme" - that is about three books off in my reading "queue"!
Maybe I should have made the effort to watch....?
Did you see any of the sites /memorials we've read about?
It's just that this Wimbledon fortnight is MY time! I don't do anything except watch the tennis! - no household chores for instance!
Everything goes on hold - we eat and I walk the dog! that's it!
Just for two weeks!
In case you haven't heard , both Roger and Andy are through, and now play each other(!) in the Semi-Final!
Whom will you support? - Andy because he's Scottish? or Roger? (because he's a brilliant player and a nice guy?)

Pigale, not sure about the lack of activity today.
I suspect it will be different tomorrow.
Yes, Bouhanni is out. I presume he was caught up in the big crash on Monday. Maybe suffering.
The riders follow instructions, so if they are sitting in the bunch it is with the blessing of their Directeur Sportif. The sponsors won't like it, as they want to see their name prominently displayed on screen.
But why it was quiet today, I do not know.

Good luck, Albie!
It is on TV tomorrow.
Rickie Fowler is my man!

Good evening, Elle!
Yes, you would have found it interesting.
It is the immensity of the war cemeteries that hit home, for me. And each one immaculately kept.
I remember reading years ago about a particular hill, (I forget exactly where or which, but it will come to me, possibly Vimy Ridge?) and anyway this hill/ trench system was taken at very great cost by the Canadians, and a very grateful France donated the piece of ground to Canada, in perpuity.
So, there is a small part of France that is forever Canada. I find things like that extraordinally moving. One day I shall tell you the story of Martin Middlebrook.

Oh, I am not fussy about Roger or Andy, Elle.
Roger is a gent, and Andy is Andy!
But, Andy is not representing his nation at Wimbledon, he is representing Andy Murray.
PS. It may be very hard to imagine, Elle, but out there, somewhere...there may be the odd Scotsman who is a nice guy!

Evening, Rusty!
Yes, I think I should have watched the background of the cycle racing - I would have been so very interested to see these places I have read about.
If anything topical comes up again, please give me a "shout" and I can switch channels!
I can get the cycling on ITV4 (which is on Freeview)
Yes, you are perfectly right( as you often are!) - it is the Vimy War Memorial of which you are thinking. It is a memorial to all the Canadians who served during the First World War.
60,000 Canadians were killed - about ten thousand (I think) of whom were killed in France, but who have no known grave.
The names of the missing men were inscribed on the memorial.
That is a heartbreaking situation - to be missing; unidentified and unburied.
I don't know who is Martin Middlebrook? I'll look forward to hearing about him!

P. S. Now let's not get this out of proportion...... Andy Murray is ONE Scotsman I don't happen to like........ just one!
I have a lot of Scots relatives, remember? I like them - and then there's you! I like you! ( although strictly speaking, you're not really Scottish...you're Irish!)

Elle, this is a short clip of a visit to the Canadian Memorial and Cemeteries at Vimy Ridge by Canadian students.
Vimy Ridge was given to Canada by France in perpuity in recognition of the sacrifice that Canada made to win and hold the ridge.
You may need a tissue!
Le Tour passed by today and we saw the great Memorial and the cemeteries.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4U4S-i6a4c